Property Taxes

It is near the end of February, which means "property taxes" to most of us homeowners. I paid my taxes in full a week ago, but by that I mean I paid my delinquent property taxes in full last week. For the last couple of years, I have run a year behind. That is OK, because you have two years to pay your property taxes--at least here you do. Like everything else, my finances have screwed up a number of things--paying my real estate taxes on time included.

All that means is that I am paying extra interest and penalty, and paying for it in extra stress and anxiety as well.

I always breathe a sigh of relief as I write that last check. Almost like a feeling of "saved by the bell." I am never really worried as I know I will always have the money by the deadline. I feel sorry for the people who won't and end up with their property being sold at a tax sale. You see their names and property listed in the newspaper.

I know it is dangerous to wait until the last minute like this and am not going to do it again. I am cleaning up my finances this year, and will be helped by the fact that I will not have to pay tuition anymore in a few months.

The danger is something could happen--you could forget to pay, you might not have the money when due, you might get deathly ill, have a car accident etc., and the tax is forgotten. The consequence would be dire--your property is sold at a tax sale. (Although you do have a number of opportunities even then to pay up.)

I don't want to be in that position anymore.

Even talking about delinquent taxes reminds me of the book and movie, The House of Sand and Fog, a truly wonderful but sad tale of a young woman who is depressed and thinks she has taken care of an erroneous business tax bill on her house but hasn't. The house is sold from under her, and she becomes obsessed and desperate to get it back, as I am sure we would all be. It is very sad to see perfectly normal people become undone and end in tragedy.

All because she didn't open her mail.

Just gives me the shivers thinking about it.